Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

A GIS-based glacier inventory for the Antarctic Peninsula and the South Shetland Islands —A first case study on King George Island

  • Published:
Geo-spatial Information Science

Abstract

The aim of the international project “Global Land Ice Measurements from Space (GLIMS)” headed by the US Geological Survey is to establish a world wide glacier inventory based on satellite imagery. This data set will form a first digital baseline study for future glacier monitoring. The presented GIS-based glacier inventory for King George Island is a case study for the area of the Antarctic Peninsula. In the database of the glacier inventory topographic information, specific glaciological parameters as well as metadata will be included. The topographic data consists of drainage basin limits, basin areas, altitudinal ranges, perimeters and mean lengths. Glaciological data sets should comprise information on glacier retreat in different periods, glacier velocities, ice thickness and bedrock topography as well as derived parameters. Modelled and measured mass balance parameters could be included as additional data layers. In particular, these metadata records must comprise background information on data accuracy and data sources and should be compatible with a future data model for the King George Island GIS (KGIS). Three examples illustrate that the GLIMS database will not only contain information valuable for glaciological applications, but also other environmental studies on the island will benefit from this standardised remote sensing data sets. Therefore, a very close link between the data models of KGIS and GLIMS has to be established to enable these synergisms. Finally, better access to historic aerial photography would enable a continuous record of glacier retreat from the beginning of the 1950's onward.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Bahr D B. Global distribution of glacier properties: A stochastic scaling paradigm.Water Resource Research, 1997,33(7):1 669–1 679

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Bahr D B, Meier M F. Snow patch and glacier size distributions.Water Resource Research, 2000,36(2):495–501

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Braun M, Schneider C. Characteristics of summer energy balance on the west coast of the Antarctic Peninsula.Annals of Glaciology, 2000,31:179–183

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Braun M, Rau F, Saurer H,et al. The development of radar glacier zones on the King George Island Ice Cap (Antarctica) during the Austral summer 1996–1997 as observed in ERS-2 SAR data.Annals of Glaciology, 2000,31:357–363

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Calvet J. Corbera J, Furada G. Variacion del frente glaciar en Bahia Sur y Punta Siddons entre 1956 y 1991, Isla Livingston, Islas Shetland del Sur. In: López-Martinez, J.: Geología de la Antártida Occidental.III Congreso Geológico de Espana y VIII Congreso Latinoamericano de Geología, Salamanca, Espana, 1992. 283–292

  6. Doake C S M, Vaughan D G. Rapid disintegration of the Wordie Ice Shelf in response to atmospheric warming.Nature, 1991,350(6 316):328–330

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Doake C S M, Corr H F J, Rott H,et al. Break-up and conditions for stability of the northern Larsen Ice Shelf, Antarctica.Nature, 1998,391:778–780

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Fox A J, Cooper A P R. Climate-change indicators from archival aerial photography of the Antarctic Peninsula.Annals of Glaciology, 1998,27:636–642

    Google Scholar 

  9. Harangozo S A, Colwell S R, King J C. An analysis of a 34-year air temperature record from Fossil Bluff (71°S, 68°W), Antarctica.Antarctic Science, 1997,9(3):355–363

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Hulbe C L. Recent changes to Antarctic Peninsula ice shelves: what lessons have been learned?Natural Science,

  11. Jones P D. Antarctic temperatures over the present century—a study of the early expedition record.Journal of Climate, 1990,3:1 193–1 203

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Kieffer H and 41 others. New eyes from the skye measure glaciers and ice sheets.EOS, 2000,81(24):265, 270–271

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. King J C. Recent climate variability in the vicinity of the Antarctic Peninsula.International Journal of Climatology, 1994,14:357–369

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. King J C, Harangozo S A. Climate change in the western Antarctic Peninsula since 1945: observations and possible causes.Annals of Glaciology, 1998,27:571–575

    Google Scholar 

  15. Klöser H, Arntz W E. RASCAL (RESEARCH on Antarctic Shallow Coastal and Litoral systems). Untersuchungen zur Struktur und Dynamik eines antarktischen Küstenöjosystems.Polar forschung, 1994,64(1): 27–41

    Google Scholar 

  16. Klöser H, Ferreyra G, Schloss I,et al. Hydrography of Potter Cover, a small fjord-like inlet in King George Island, South Shetands.Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 1994,38:523–537

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Lucchitta B K, Rosanova C E. Retreat of northern margins of George VI and Wilkins Ice Shelves, Antarctic Peninsula.Annals of Glaciology, 1998,27:41–46

    Google Scholar 

  18. Morris E M. Surface ablation rates on Moraine Corrie Glacier, Antarctica.Global and Planetary Change, 1999,22:221–231

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. ParkB K,Chang S K,YoonH I,et al.Recent retreat of ice cliffs, King George Island, South Shetland Islands, Antarctic Peninsula.Annals of Glaciology, 1998,27: 633–635

    Google Scholar 

  20. Rakusa-SuszczewskiS.The maritime Antarctic coastal ecosystem of Admiralty Bay.Department of Antarctic Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences,Warsaw,1993.216

    Google Scholar 

  21. Rakusa-SuszczewskiS.The hydrography of Admiralty Bay and its inlets, coves and lagoons (King George Island, Antarctica).Polish Polar Research,1995,16 (1/2):61–70

    Google Scholar 

  22. Rau F, Braun M, Saurer H,et al. Multi-year snow cover dynamics on the Antarctic Peninsula using SAR imagery.Polar forschung, 2000,67(1/2):27–40

    Google Scholar 

  23. Rott H, Skvarca P, Nagler T. Rapid Collapse of northern Larsen Ice Shelf, Antarctica.Science, 1996,271:788–792

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Rott H, Rack W, Nagler T,et al. Climatically induced retreat and collapse of northern Larsen Ice Shelt, Antarctic Peninsula.Annals of Glaciology, 1998,27:86–92

    Google Scholar 

  25. Skvarca P, Rack W, Rott H,et al. Evidence of recent climatic warming on the eastern Antarctic Penisnula.Annals of Glaciology, 1998,27:628–932

    Google Scholar 

  26. Simões J C, Bremer U F, Aquino F E,et al. Morphology and variations of glacial drainage basins in the King George Island ice field, Antarctica.Annals of Glaciology, 1999,29:220–224

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Smith A M, Vaughan D G, Doake C S M,et al. Surface lowering of the ice ramp at Rothera Point, Antarctic Peninsula, in response to regional climate change.Annals of Glaciology, 1998,27:113–118

    Google Scholar 

  28. Smith R C, Stammerjohn S E, Baker K S. Surface air temperature variations in the western Antarctic Peninsula region.Antarctic Research Series, 1996,70:105–121

    Google Scholar 

  29. Splettstoesser J. Antarctic Global Warming?.Nature, 1992,355(6 360):503

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Stark P. Climatic warming in the central Antarctic Peninsula area.Weather, 1994,49(6):215–220

    Google Scholar 

  31. Turner J, Colwel S R, Harangozo S. Variability of precipitation over the coastal western Antarctic Peninsula from synoptic observations.Journal of Geophysical Research, 1997,102(D12):13 999–14 007

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Warren C R. Iceberg calving and the glaciomarine record.Progress in Physical Geography, 1992,16(3): 253–282

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Wunderle S. Die Schneedeckendynamik der Antarkische Halbinsel und ihre Erfassung mit aktiven und passiven Fernerkundungsverfahren.Freiburger Geographische Hefte, 1996,48:172

    Google Scholar 

  34. Braun M, Saurer H, Vogt S, Simões J C,et al. The influence of large-scale atmospheric circulation on surface energy balance on the ice cap of King George Island.International Journal of Climatology, 2001,21(1):21–36

    Article  Google Scholar 

  35. Braun M, Rau F. Using a multi-year data archive of ERS SAR imagery for the monitoring of firn line positions and ablation patterns on the King George Island ice cap (Antarctica). The Workshop of EARSeL Special Interest Group: Remote Sensing of Land Ice and Snow. Dresden, 2000 (published on CD-Rom in 2001)

  36. Rau F, Braun M, Friedrich M,et al. Radar glacier zones and its boundaries as indicators of glacier mass balance and climatic variability. The Workshop of EARSeL Special Interest Group: Remote Sensing of Land Ice and Snow. Dresden, 2000 (published on CD-Rom in 2001)

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut für Physische Geographie, Albert-Luowigs-Universität Freiburg, Werderring 4, D-79085, Freiburg, Geronary

    Matthias Braun, F. Rau & Jefferson Cardia Simões

Authors
  1. Matthias Braun
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. F. Rau
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Jefferson Cardia Simões
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Matthias Braun.

About this article

Cite this article

Braun, M., Rau, F. & Simões, J.C. A GIS-based glacier inventory for the Antarctic Peninsula and the South Shetland Islands —A first case study on King George Island. Geo-spat. Inf. Sci. 4, 15–24 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02826973

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02826973

Key words

Search

Navigation